iPhone 5

The waiting has come to an end. In a little while Apple’s CEO Tom Cook has announced about the new iPhone 5 and says it’s thinner and lighter than the previous model.

As expected, the screen is taller than on the iPhone 4S, making room for another row of icons.

It will also come with the capability to connect to the fastest new wireless data networks, both in the U.S. and overseas. That’s another feature that was widely expected. Some competing phones in the U.S. have had this ability for a year and an half.

Thanks to new technology that eliminates a separate touch-sensing layer in the screen, the phone is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter, said Apple marketing head Phil Schiller.

He spoke at an Apple event in San Francisco.

Here’s a running account of the event, presented in reverse chronological order. All times are PDT. Appearances are made by CEO Tim Cook, Philip Schiller, the senior vice president for worldwide marketing, and others.